BMW 5-Series Sedans

Comments

I would highly recommend you do NOT use a body shop recommended by your insurance company. Those body shops, many of which are owned by the insurance company themselves, do not have fixing your car in their best interest. They're looking out for their bottom line and will do what is cheapest, not what is best. State Farm lost a huge lawsuit on this a few years ago, and Allstate is headed down the same road. Avoid any Sterling body shop as they are owned by Allstate.

Go to an independent shop recommended by your dealer or friends. You have a much better chance of having your car fixed the right way.

I really hope that BMW does consider selling diesels in the US when the sulfur content in supposed to drop, around 2007. I figure that I will probably be purchase my next car by then unless the unmentionable happens to my 325i. With my wife buying a car next year, it looks like a CPO 530i. If my memory serves me right the VW TDi did not post bad performance numbers??? I think the only car with terrible performance numbers would be the SMART cars.

It depends. The body shop I used is on several different insurance company's pre-approved lists. They're not owned by an insurance company. The also know how to "work the system" so to speak -- that is, get OEM parts authorized when a particular insurance company prefers you get aftermarket parts or repair existing parts.

I wouldn't use that as a primary criteria though -- but if you can find a shop that somebody else recommends, and it also happens to be pre-approved, that's a bonus -- less hassle.

You are right in that the TDI numbers weren't aweful, but concidering that the TDI that they have in Europe has 155 Hp and 205 ft/lb of torque compared to the 90 Hp and 155 ft/lb here, that is a big difference. They are planning to bring theirs over here in about 2005/6. They said by that time the sulfur content should be low enough not to sludge the engine down.

Thanks ryoken. My dealer (Cunningham BMW) recommended Auto Works since they do not have body shop in house. Harloff BMW said that they have life time warranty (as long as I own the car) on the paint. Some other dealer's body shop (i.e. MB of San Diego and Brecht BMW) only have 1 year warranty. Do you know if Harloff BMW does a good job?

Yesterday I had a weird thing happen to my car. I came out of my daughter's soon to be elementary school (all of the soon to be first graders -all 200 of them- were having an "Ice Cream Social") and as walked toward my car I pressed the "Unlock" button on my key, and nothing happened. As I got closer and closer, I kept pressing the button, and nothing. I was finally reduced to actually putting the key in the door and unlocking it the old fashioned way. No problems since. Ever happen to any of y'all?

A theory; when I pulled up at the school and locked my car, there were any number of other folks doing the same, at the same exact time, including other BMWs. Could there have been just too many Lock/Unlock codes flying around in the air at the same time, and the "Rolling Code" got tweaked?

Similar to Shipo's problem, about every other day I'll return to my 530i in my office parking lot, fire it up and get a "trunk lid open" warning. I'm about 99% certain that I'm not keying it myself. Several other BMW's park in the same small lot, along with the usual collection of MB's, etc. Can the codes be reprogrammed by the dealer?

I am fairly new to this debate as my car is just about two months old. But during this short time it already happened twice. My seat and stirring wheel memory preferences get mysteriously reset. I am 100% positive it is not me.

Check out the May 26, 2003, issue of AutoWeek. Big cover story: "First Drive 5: Is the 2004 BMW 5 Series still world's best sedan?" Some great pictures. Interesting comments on AFS.

Was BMW's press introduction in Sardinia. Appears they drove only new 530i, both 6-speed manual and automatic. They did not drive SMG.

I think the pictures show the new styling isn't as bad as the doom-sayers allege. If anything, I'm more concerned about the interior styling, esp. the dash. Dash just doesn't look very sporting. Too dignified and luxurious.

I agree, the E60 styling isn't horrible-though to my eyes it just somehow doesn't look as well integrated or distinctive as the E34 and E39. That said, it's a good bet that a CPO 530i SMG will wind up in our garage in a few short years. Assuming that Ms. Div's enthusiasm for a Mini Cooper cools somewhat. Methinks there's fat chance of that happening, as we just saw The Italian Job...;)

George94,The seat/mirror memory issue is separate. I believe BMW calls it key memory. I have 2 E39's and it has NEVER worked properly on either. I wondered at the time why the salesman discouraged me from having the feature turned on when I purchased the cars. And BMW wants to put the idrive on the new 5, making it even more electronically complex!Terry

I don't use the remote key preference settings. I simply use the memory buttons of the driver side door. I leave my car with seats, wheel etc in my choice of preference. Come back later and it is mysteriously changed since.

diver110... Steptronic is still a fully automatic transmission. Torque converter and the whole 9 yards. Within certain limits, you can "tell it" electronically when to shift and go up or down a gear (though it has some internal overrides so that you can't over-rev her).

SMG is a fully manual transmission, though the clutch-work is done by the computer and you can put it in "drive" and allow the computer to do all the shifting for you. SMG similar to F1 racing-type transmission.

I'm waiting to reserve judgement on the new E60 until I see it in the flesh.

As far as the E39 goes, I went poking around a local dealer's showroom on Saturday (it was weird not working on Saturday, I had so much time) and there was a beautiful Black/Black PP, SP, and I don't know what else 525i with a 5 speed manual. Definitely a cool car.

The guy infron of me at the car wash had a light blueish/Black Interior 540iA SP with the M5 wheels, and M5 badges on the side (glued on crooked). Before I spotted the Auto trans, I saw only 1 tailpipe sticking out the back, not 4 so I knew. While our cars were being dried, I asked him how he liked his 540. He said "It's an M5, and I love it." As he said that I told him his car was nice and to have a nice weekend.

I've always wondered why people put a M badge on their car to try to pass it off as an M. BMW people are very astute when comes to our' favorite brand and can tell a fake right away. You don't know how many M 318i's I've seen and laughed at.

how can u be sure if it is even a 540ia? It could have been a 525ia... LOL.. that is really sad if he believes he has a imaginary M power in there.... Perhaps the rebadging is worth 15 HP.... I need to "upgrade" to a 760Li soon....

In an odd way they do us all a service. They point out the value of certain cars. Those cars are unique and their properties are valued. As are their resale values. M5 is no exception. Or the (odd) M Coupe. Wouldn't we all love to have a real M5? Too bad I can't afford one! But I can dream.

diver110... Someone here probably knows. I don't. I'm thinking it was sometime in late 1990s. Say around '97-'99. I'm not a fan of automatic transmissions so I don't pay too much attention to them.

Do keep in mind that BMW buys automatic transmissions from others. Believe many are now GM's built in France. Thinking others are ZFs. Heart of BMW's Steptronic is the internal electronic "brains" that control the shifting. Others use the same transmission (e.g., Cadillac CTS) with different "brains".

For those who are considering a new (at least new for you) 5-Series, and are concerned about the "Rough Ride" if you opt for the Sport Package, maybe I can help you off/over the fence.

For the last week my soon to be 70 year old Mother-In-Law (we call her Muzzy; don't ask) has been with us so she can do "Kid Duty" while I am across the pond in London and Paris for the next week or so. Needless to say, given that she lives in Dallas, I have had to show her around to the various points that she will have to navigate to by herself during my absence. As a result, she has spent a fair amount of time behind the wheel in my 530i 5-Speed, PP, SP (yes, like her daughter Mrs. Shipo, Muzzy Loves driving cars with three pedals, go figure). What I find entertaining is her constant praise for how wonderful my 5er is to drive, and how good it looks, inside and out (she is an interior designer by trade), however, her most frequent comment is how smooth and supple the ride is. She has commented several times on how the ride feels smoother than her (former) employers' S-Class MB, which didn't handle as well either for that matter. To top it off, Muzzy (at a whopping 5'4" and 95 pounds) has absolutely no meat on her bones to absorb any undue/abrupt motions to her backside, so I guess she should know.

In the final analysis, a 5-Series with the SP does in fact firm up the ride a little when compared to the non SP equipped cars (in exchange for a considerable bump in the cars' handling abilities), however, that does not mean that you are going to lose the fillings from you teeth every time you drive over a rough road.

BMW's Sport Pkg is an outstanding balance of enhanced handling at minimum ride degredation. No other manufacturer pulls it off so well. Too many have Sport Pkgs that lead to punishing ride. Don't know how BMW does it, but only they do it so well. Wonderful synergy of selected tire and chosen suspension settings.

I have heard that if you live in a city with bad roads (e.g. my city, Baltimore), that the sports package is a bad idea. One can easily bend a rim (at god know what cost to replace) etc. Do people agree?